Wednesday, September 22, 2010

11:24 AM

A survey from the Dem-affiliated Public Policy Polling shows Republican Ron Johnson with a significant lead on U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold, but a survey done for SEIU finds the incumbent Middleton Dem with a slim lead.

The PPP poll had Johnson up 52 percent to 41 percent over Feingold. It credits an "enormous enthusiasm gap" for part of Johnson's lead in the poll, which was done for DailyKos. The survey was conducted Saturday and Sunday and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.8 percentage points.

Johnson campaign spokeswoman Sara Sendek says the poll shows voters are "sick and tired of the reckless spending and debt being racked up by career politicians in Washington."

"This poll reflects that Ron Johnson's message is resonating across the state and excitement continues to grow for a candidate who will finally listen to them and stand up for them in Washington," she said.

Feingold spokesman John Kraus was more skeptical of the poll, which was done over a weekend that included Badger and Packer football games.

"This poll is out of touch with reality, much like most of Ron Johnson's campaign," Kraus said.

The SEIU survey found Feingold up 50 percent to 47 percent on the Oshkosh businessman. The Wisconsin portion of that poll included a sample of 400 voters and had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 percentage points.